Moving Water

I'm new to the cutthroat and coho beach fishing scene and have been doing much research, reading, exploring and such for the past couple of months. I've gotten out a few times in between the unrelenting storms, and even hooked a couple of SRCs. :beer2:

I have learned through my reading much from this forum (thanks for all the info) and from Les's book about finding moving water, current seams, and the like. But I do have a question perhaps someone can address. I'll form it around a familiar example: I've been to the Narrows a couple of times on both ebb and flow. I tried to find water where the current was pushing against the shore and fished this. Over time, naturally, the current shifted and moved offshore outside of of casting distance. My question is this: (finally)--- Am I wasting my time fishing the near shore in the 'dead water' where the current has moved out? Should I have moved on to find moving water against shore? Thanks.

I would say that it is good to find current, and slack eddy lines, seams etc, structure,(which can include any physical interruption along the shoreline), etc.

Sea Run Coastal Cutthroat Trout like to move in saltwater and I think that the most successful anglers will have learned to keep moving too, especially when fishing from the beach on foot. When the current you are fishing changes, reverses or goes slack etc., expect that the fish are ahead of that occurence, and then try to get a sense of where the drift of the forage may be coming from or headed next.

When I notice Cutts in a slackwater area, I have better success working an adjacent area of flow or current. These fish know where the current lines are and they work them often. Then they mope around in slack water too. And it is simple to assume that they would be easy pickings there. But if you go slapping away at slackwater areas- you wil most likely push them away.

These are river fish that spend some time in saltwater. If you look for riverlike conditions of flows, you will be ahead of the game a little sometimes. Just about the time you get it all figured out, you will get skunked for a while. The Rea Run Cutthroat trout will keep you honest.

iagree With Bob.
These fish do look for current. Alot of my favorite spots don't hold fish until the water starts moving, then they funnel in and act like Cutts in a River. i love to skate flies in the current and those fish go Crazy! That dosent mean I dont fish at slack tide. I concentrate on moving and trolling flies when I am looking for fish between spots. There is endless amounts of beach in Puget Sound and moving around looking for fish is a key when they are not stacked up.
Structure is what I look for when the tide is not moving. I am fortunate to live on the water and Have fished out of my duroboat since I was 11. I have really found a lot of places that fish tend to hang out. Almost all of my favorite spots have structure. Large boulders, Logs, Boat wrecks, they all will hold fish. I have been fishing for SRC's for over 10 years now and I can honestly say that I dont know everything about what these fish do.
Hope this helps out. If you have any more questions, just ask.
Chris